Our prayers have been answered. No Stellar towers didn’t receive black Chanel 1.55 handbags for everyone in the audience, however when news came in that we only have a week to wait until the long-awaited Topshop makeup range is available, we just got a little bit giddy. Topshop are to launch their makeup collection on May the 5th at the St.Stephen’s Green Topshop store with an exciting four-day event, with make up artists showing customers the product and application techniques.

Topshop has always been directional, combining fashion-forward items of clothing with trend setting accessories to create an overall shopping experience. Lizzie Dawson, Topshop Designer tells us that, “‘From the start we wanted to create a range that would appeal to all yet have the uniqueness customer expects from Topshop.’ It will be interesting to see if they can live up to expectations with the makeup range.

So far, so good. The colours are bright and fun, the textures are gorgeously blendable, we’re sold. Plus with rumours circulating that the pigment is up to MACs standard we can’t contain the excitement.

The best thing about this collection seems to be the kitschy packaging, nothing less was expected. Also, prices range from €6 to €20 for a collection of 97 items in the core range and then in true Topshop style there is going to be limited edition ranges and its even rumoured celeb makeup artists collaborations.

If you like your style with a pinch of ethics, like to know where your threads are coming from and make good choices when it comes to your fashion purchases then Fashion Evolution is the event for you. Organised by ethical fashion group Re-Dress, Fashion Evolution is an ethical fashion week that encourages fashionistas both inside and outside the industry to have a fresh perspective on sustainability in fashion. Running from the 4th-8th of May this is the third consecutive year for the event to take place in Dublin and sees organisations and groups from across the industry come together to promote a change.

What’s in for you, you ask?

Well there’s something for everyone with an interest in fashion whether it’s re-hashing old clothes, to launching your own label, plus a special appearance from ethical designing superstar Katharine Hamnett.

Fashion Mentoring Sessions – Calling all fashion entrepreneurs, designers, photographers, stylists, students and fans of fashion. This is your chance to sit down with some of Irelands most influential industry experts and ask questions, connect and learn more about the industry. Essential for anyone pursuing a career in Fashion. Mentors include: Constance Harris, Fashion Editor of the Sunday Independent; Stylist, Aisling Farinella; Professor Angela Woods, Head of Design Faculty NCAD; Andreas Pettersson, noted fashion photographer, amongst others. Wednesday May 5th, 6.30 – 8.30pm, The Sugar Club, Leeson Street, Dublin 2. Booking is essential.

Irish Fashion Industry Conference – ‘How Sustainability can Revitalise the Irish Fashion Community’. This is the only conference of it’s kind in Ireland and brings together international experts in sustainability to discuss how this new way of doing business is changing the world of fashion from high-street to high-end. Places are limited and booking is essential. Tickets are priced at €40 and €20 for students.

EJF Cotton T-Shirt Exhibition –Exclusive designs from John Rocha, Alice Temperley, Christian Lacroix, Giles Deacon amongst many others encapsulate the ideals of the Environmental Justice Foundation campaign on child labour in the cotton industry. The exhibition will run from 4th – 8th May in The Greenhouse, Andrew Street, Dublin 2.

Fashioning Entrepreneurship, an evening lecture – A panel discussion on what it means to be a fashion entrepreneur in Ireland to-day . Wednesday May, 5th,9pmDublin 2. Tickets are priced at €10. SHARP in The Sugar Club, Lesson Street.

If you want a weekend filled with fashion, style and shopping rather than rugby girls then there is only one place to head this weekend and that’s the RDS. The Xpose show with all its glamour and glitz and presenters has been taken on the road once again this year. Check out our very own Stellar stand and drop by to say hi and nab your mag for half price at a €1! This year there will be fashion and beauty masterclasses held where our very own Fashion Editor, Corina Gaffey will be dishing the tips on all the latest trends. Plus as always there is the fashion show where top Irish models will strut down the catwalk.

While we all might need a bit of rescuing after the long weekend there is certain situations during the year that stress and panic hits. Whether its exam season that gets us down or going on holidays and simply boarding a plane, nerves hit people in different ways. At times like this we say, ‘bring on Rescue Remedy’ and don’t let stress get in your way of achieving high standards and living life to the max.

Celebrating 80 years, Rescue Remedy can help to get that much needed feeling of calmness and serenity. It might not make you remember the exam answers but with a steady head, your thoughts are more relaxed and you are more likely to think straight and find a solution. Not only does the original formula now come in handy a spray bottle, it has expanded the range to Rescue Pastilles, €7.95 and Rescue Chewing Gum, €4.95 handy for on the go rescuing and easy sharing among friends.

The original formula contains natural ingredients such as Rock Rose for terror and panic, Impatiens for irritation and impatience, Clematis for inattentiveness, Star of Bethlehem for shock and Cherry Plum for irrational thoughts. Sounds like a cocktail of goodness to us. I’m feeling calmer already.

What do Africa and Dublin have in common? Well not the weather anyway that’s for certain, but fashion of course.

This weekend if you’re not heading away and adore fashion, Africa Dublin Fashion Weekend is being held in the RDS to showcase top African designers in Europe – but be warned stereotypes are not welcome.

Finally making the deserved leap onto the international catwalks African designers who have long been stamping the African runways will showcase their talents. Ngwenya, a Zimbabwean who has studied and worked in Ireland for the last ten years will open the show that takes place in Thomas Prior Hall, beside the RDS, bringing together the African designers.

It’s been a long time coming that African designers are getting recognised for their talent on the international scene struggling previously to make a statement in the fashion realm. Ngwenya told the Sunday Business Post, ‘‘Africa is rising in terms of fashion.” South Africa is one of the most emergent fashion industries in the world, so it’s no joke that there is something to be learnt from these fresh designers. Expect bright, colourful nods to African tradition rather than full-on bias khaki safari jackets, tribal headbands and leopard-prints.

The following designers are showing along with many more…Bot i Lam, Deenola, Afro-Chique, Ms Mi, Afro-Ropean, and Dieko.

With Easter weekend just one more working day away many of us will be thinking about jetting off on little last minute voyage persay. Whether it be down to grannies humble abode in Kerry, an extreme surfing trip with mates in Donegal or a sunny city break in Barcelona we all have one thing in common – what to pack for the weekend break.

The fine art of packing light is something that takes years to master and as self-confessed fashionistas in Stellar mag we would like to think that we are pretty well darned equipped to share a few tips in this area. From our backpacking days to packing up clothes for photo shoots we know what every girl needs to make her trip a light yet still fashionable one.

1. Start off with a chic bag and invest in a leather one if your budget can afford it as it will last longer and age better (like ourselves of course). Check out this tanned leather one from Accessorize, €51. Remember to pack the heavier things at the bottom with the lighter items that are more likely to crease on top.

2. Prepare your outfits before hand and bring things that will mix and match easily when you are there. A pair of jeans is a must, one blazer/jacket that will look smart in the the day and evening and the essential item, the striped tee- even though your going to Kerry you’ll feel as if your on the French Riviera. This one is from River Island, €17.50.

3. Accessories are the key to simple outfits when travelling and a statement necklace or even a bright red lippy can change a little black dress from day to night. We love this turquoise and gold Angie Gooderham one from House of Fraser, €132.